Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-11-17
FARMERS INSTITUTED

FARMERS INSTITUTES
How TO Conduct Them e the ASv>.s>eo
Of An AtteaLanta
Meetings of farmers for the purpose
Of listening to lectures and engaging in
discussing matters pertaining to rails
ing crops. feeding and breeding ami
mails. and managing estates have for
many years been neld in various parts
of the country. and have been produc-
tive of great good. During the past
few years they have been conducted in
q more systematic manner than ever
before, and the results were in all re-
spects more satisfactory.
The usefulness of farmers institutes
depends very largely on the way they
are conducted. Often much time is
wasted in forms and ceremonies. There
is q long address of welcome by the
mayor or head man in the place and a
response by the president of the insti-
tute. These consume time and are Of
no practical value. An institute should
commence like days work on the
farm at seeding-time-by coming right
down to business. The persons pres
ent are presumed to be welcome or
they would not be there. An pretty
speeches that do not pertain to the
matters under consideration can be dis
pensed with. A brass band or q glee
club is as much out of place at farm
ers' institute as in a harvest-field or q
threshing-ya-d. A meeting of farmers
called for the purpose of acquiring in-
formation should not be variety per-
Torrance. The desire for social pleas
ures should not cause it t, be convert
ed into picnic. A circus or minstrel
performance IS all well enough in its
way, but it does not enlighten farm
er on the way to secure large crop of
potatoes or inform him how to keep
his apple orchard free from rabbits and
destructive insects.
There is always danger that politi-
clans. patent-right sharps and persons
who have hobbies to ride and axes to
grind, will seek to occupy the time at
a farmers institute. They should be
treated like book-canvassers, light
ning-rod contractors and sewing-ma.
chine agents. They can be told to
call some fair day when the hall where
the meetings are held is locked up.
The most successful farmers are not
always the best persons to conduct in
stitutes or even to read papers. A
man may manage farm admirably.
but make complete failure in manag-
ing farmers institute or in making
an address before one. Many excel
lent farmers are bashful; others unac-
customed to writing essays or speak
ing in public. They have valuable
ideas, but it is hard for them to COM
municate them to an audience Of
strangers. They are good men to
have at an institute. and much valu-
able information can be obtained from
them by judicious system of ques-
tioning. Many men not engaged in
farming are well versed in various de-
partments of social economy. In
almost every country in the world
ministers have done more to enlarge
our knowledge of bees than the men,
bers of any other profession.
There is generally disposition on
the part of the managers of farmers
institutes to arrange for affording in
structions on a great variety of SUBJ
jects in order to make the exercises in
teresting and profitable to all that may
be present. 1t is ordinarily the case
that quite too many topics are dis
cussed. So short time is given to
each that it is not treated with suffi.
cient detail and thoroughness. The
instruction on it is of a general char
acter, and resembles that in an ele-
mentary textbook. This is not what
educated farmers of large experience
want They desire to obtain the in
formation that only experts. special
lists. investigators and experimenters
have acquired. The exercises of
farmers institute rarely ever extend
beyond week, and are generally con-
fined to four days. The whole range
of farm industries can not be profit
ably considered in that time. The |
consideration of one standard field |
crop. one kind of livestock, one sort |
of fruit, and one subject connected
with the business of running farm is
enough to engage the attention of an
institute that remains in session for
four days Chicago Times.